1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sales activity management system, sales activity management apparatus and sales activity management method that is preferably applicable to activities for selling an information processing apparatus from an apparatus manufacturer to a user and selling available information contents at the information processing apparatus from an information provider to the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there are many cases in which a hardware manufacturer sells to a user an information processing apparatus such as tuner device, hand held telephone set, or game machine, a broadcast service provider provides to a user a charged digital broadcast program as available information contents at the information processing apparatus, a communication service provider provides a telephone call service to a user, and a game manufacturer sells game software to a user.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of materials and money showing an example of a satellite broadcast business model 104 of such type. A charged broadcast business represented by a communication satellite (CS) broadcast, is carried out so that a broadcast service provider 37 that is a platform shown in FIG. 1 provides broadcast services such as charged digital broadcast programs (hereinafter, referred to as charged contents 28) to a user 14, and monthly collects a reception charge (monthly) 38 relevant to charged contents 28 from the user 14.
Namely, with respect to a product (hereinafter, referred to as “hardware”) 26 such as a tuner device (broadcast reception terminal device) that is hardware, a hardware manufacturer 35 such as home electronics manufacturer purchases essential parts 40 that can be incorporated in the hardware 26 from a part manufacturer 42. A hardware manufacturer 35 makes a part payment 41 of essential parts 40 to a part manufacturer 42. The hardware 26 having the essential parts 40 incorporated therein is manufactured by a home electronics manufacturer, the hardware 26 is forwarded to the user 14 for sale, after such home electronics manufacturer itself OEM delivers the hardware to a service company, in some instances.
At the time of selling this hardware 26, a broadcast reception contract is made between the broadcast service provider 37 and the user 14. The user 14 that is a subscriber often makes payment for the hardware 26 at one time during purchase. However, with respect to broadcast reception services, a reception charge 38 is generally paid to the broadcast service provider 37 monthly. Therefore, from the viewpoint of a company that is a platform, it is desirable that the hardware 26 such as tuner device become more popular to each of the users 14. Thus, reduction of service charge and reduction of hardware cost are important means for marketing strategy.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of materials and money showing an example of hand held telephone set communication business model 203. With respect to communication business represented by a hand held telephone set, a company that is a carrier 51′ shown in FIG. 2 provides a communication service 48, and collects a base charge and/or an actual telephone call charge 58 from a user 14 monthly.
Namely, with respect to a product (hardware) 46 such as a hand held telephone set that is hardware, a hardware manufacturer 35 purchases essential parts 40 that can be incorporated in the hardware 46 from a part manufacturer 42. The hardware manufacturer 35 makes a part payment 41 of essential parts 40 to the part manufacturer 42. The hardware manufacturer 35 acquires a technical standard 45 from a communication service provider 47, manufactures the hardware 46 such as hand held telephone set, the hardware 46 is forwarded to the user 14 for sale, after the home electronics manufacturer itself OEM delivers it to a service company, in some instances.
Therefore, from the viewpoint of a company of carrier 51′, it is desirable that hardware 46 such as hand held telephone set is more popular among the user 14. Thus, reduction of service charge and reduction of a hand held telephone are essential marketing strategy means. At present, an incentive (sales reward) 74 may be temporarily paid to shops that sell hand held telephones. This is a prospect investigation for profit of actual telephone call charge, assuming that the user 14 continues subscriber contract for a certain period of time.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of materials and money showing an example of a game software and home use game machine business model 302. In a closed format represented by a home use game machine, a company that is a format holder (licenser) 60′ shown in FIG. 3 purchases essential parts 40 from the part manufacturer 42. The hardware manufacturer 35 makes a part payment 41 of essential parts 40 to the part manufacturer 42. The hardware manufacturer 35 manufactures and sells a product (hardware) 66 such as game machine (set) that is hardware having the essential parts 40 incorporated therein.
This hardware manufacturer 35 permits a license 80 to a software production company (hereinafter, referred to as software manufacturer) 67 called third party, and asks to produce a product (software) 68 such as software (title) that operates under the game machine only. The software 68 is sold from the software manufacture 67 to the user 14. When the software manufacturer 67 receives license permission, in general, software royalty 64 that indicates how much software is sold to the user 14, for example, is paid to the hardware manufacturer 35 that is a format holder 60′.
In this way, the hardware manufacturer 35 and software manufacturer 67 maintain mutuality. Since the format holder 60′ can expect royalty profit from the software manufacturer 67, even if hardware profit is reduced (in an extreme case, even if the profit is 0), selling is possible. As a result, from the viewpoints of an end user, a game machine can be purchased at a modest price, whereby the spread of hardware such as such game machine is promoted.
In the meantime, according to the sales activity management method as described above, in general, it is evident that, when the sales price of hardware is lower than the current price, it leads to the further spread and promotion of the hardware and software. However, the following problems still remain.    <1> Due to a “barrier” of an original price in which a total cost of parts configuring hardware is dominant or due to the circumference that the hardware manufacturer 35 assures profits, it is not preferable to further reduce prices without any improvement from the viewpoint of company management.    <2> The hardware manufacturer 35 takes the form of doing hardware businesses for purchasing essential parts from part manufacturers, and manufacturing and selling hardware. Thus, it is difficult to supply hardware at a price lower than a predetermined price, although the entirety is format business. This results in an obstacle to further reduction of hardware price.    <3> In a company that is a platform or carrier 51′, in a case in which an incentive 74 is paid at the time of selling hardware, in the event where the subscriber cancels reception contrast or telephone call contract earlier, there is expected a circumference that the company imposes a large risk that a back margin occurs.    <4> In addition, the part manufacturer 42 takes the form of doing hardware businesses for delivering essential parts 40 to the format holder 60′. Thus, it is difficult to supply essential parts 40 at a price lower than a predetermined price, although the entirety is format business. This results in an obstacle to further reduce a hardware price.    <5> In the format holder 60′ for manufacturing and selling hardware, if hardware profit is reduced (in an extreme case, if the profit is 0), in the case where game software is not sold, there is expected a circumference that the company imposes a large risk that no profit is obtained with great effort.    <6> In order to solve <1> to <5>, in the case where a license agreement is made between the part manufacturer (hereinafter, referred to as part manufacturing company) 42 and hardware manufacture 35, between the hardware manufacturer (hereinafter, referred to as hardware manufacturing company) 35 and the broadcast service provider 37 or information provider such as communication service provider or software production company, it is expected that the payment and management of royalty between these providers becomes complicated.